RAMALLAH, West Financial institution — The Ramallah Magistrates Court docket acquitted Jan. 19, 15 Palestinian activists who had been charged with “unlawful gathering,” “insulting the authorities” and “persevering with to collect and refusing to disperse.”
Dozens of activists have been arrested and overwhelmed by safety forces throughout their participation in protests held in Ramallah final 12 months to condemn the killing of political opposition determine Nizar Banat on June 24, 2021.
The acquittal resolution, nonetheless, didn’t shut the file of human rights abuses and violations of freedoms by the Palestinian Authority (PA). The identical courtroom postponed the trial of greater than 18 activists to March 16 and April 4, as a result of nonattendance of the general public prosecution witnesses.
Omar Assaf, member of the National Democratic Rally, a West Financial institution-based political group that features quite a few activists, and one of many activists being tried by the PA, advised Al-Monitor, “Fifteen activists have been acquitted as a result of the general public prosecution didn’t current any proof to show the fees in opposition to them, which proves that they have been fabricated prices. Subsequently, we felt that the decide was ashamed of the continuing trial of civilians for greater than six months with out proof.”
Assaf stated, “The acquittal resolution doesn’t imply that the PA has modified its practices. Relatively, it should proceed to suppress freedoms and won’t permit the expression of opinion. It’s heading towards extra safety intrusion. The acquittal resolution may need been pushed by worldwide strain to observe up on human rights and the prosecution of activists.”
The PA typically prices activists and journalists with obscure accusations to attempt them, equivalent to “defaming the PA,” “insulting excessive dignities” and “inciting sectarian strife.” Most of those prices don’t result in a conviction, however the trial would possibly drag on for a number of months or years.
Assaf identified that the PA’s violations in opposition to activists and political opponents are on the rise. Arrests, summons and trials have been rising previously months, in a sign that the PA continues to muffle opposing voices. He believes the PA is rising its clampdown on any dissent and tightening management of the inner state of affairs to arrange the Palestinian avenue “for its political challenge to launch negotiations with the Israeli occupation and develop relations with it.”
In the meantime, instances of prosecutions and human rights violations proceed to rise within the West Financial institution. On Jan. 10, the Dura Magistrates Court docket in Hebron governorate issued a three-month prison sentence topic to enchantment in opposition to anti-corruption activist Fayez al-Suwaiti.
Suwaiti advised Al-Monitor, “After 4 years of hearings, the courtroom sentenced me to 3 months in jail in a case introduced in opposition to me by the previous deputy minister of native authorities Hussein al-Araj, on prices of defamation and slander.”
He stated that 4 years earlier, he had criticized Araj for squandering public funds, because the latter had kept away from granting some officers a clear slate required to run for native elections. These officers, in keeping with Suwaiti, owed a whole lot of hundreds of shekels in water and electrical energy money owed to the municipalities.
The Nablus Magistrates Court docket issued Jan. 20 a three-month prison sentence topic to enchantment in opposition to journalist and artist Abdul Rahman Zaher on prices of “defamation in opposition to the PA.” He was acquitted of the fees of “publishing data on racial strife” and “posting faux information” on social media.
Zaher was arrested and detained by the Preventive Safety Service on Aug. 16, 2020, for a interval of 37 days after which launched on monetary bail, earlier than his file was transferred to the courtroom in Nablus.
Together with the prosecution of activists, the PA safety companies proceed arresting activists, in addition to of Islamic Jihad and Hamas within the West Financial institution, which at occasions contain clashes and confrontations with the residents.
At daybreak on Jan. 21, members of the safety companies raided the town of Beita in Nablus governorate and arrested Islamic Jihad chief Abdul Raouf al-Jaghoub, and two different youths, Bilal Hamayel and Mutassim Dwaikat.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad accuse the PA safety companies of constant their arrests in opposition to their cadres within the West Financial institution for political causes, particularly after the last conflict in Could. In a Jan. 21 press statement, Islamic Jihad stated, “The PA and its apparatuses are persevering with their observe of repression, political arrest and their pursuit of leaders and activists who’re main the confrontations in opposition to the [Israeli] settlement [project] and colonial annexation. These practices have been escalating in opposition to the backdrop of safety coordination conferences [between Israel and the PA]. The PA and its apparatuses appear to be taking turns with the occupation to extinguish the state of battle, and stop it from persevering with and increasing.”
Hossam Badran, member of Hamas’ political bureau, stated in a Jan. 21 press statement, “These arrests [by the PA] signify a stab behind the favored resistance within the West Financial institution, and its icon, the city of Beita, which withstood for a very long time within the face of occupation and settlements and sacrificed martyrs and injured individuals, and continues to be standing on the frontlines.”
The Committee for the Households of Political Prisoners and Detainees within the West Financial institution documented 2,578 violations all through final 12 months and up till now, contemplating 2021 the 12 months that witnessed probably the most numerous violations by the safety companies.
Muhannad Karajeh, director of Lawyers for Justice, advised Al-Monitor that 2021 was one of many years witnessing probably the most political detention and human rights violations within the historical past of the PA, and that the violations are ongoing.
He identified that some of the important occasions witnessed in 2021 was the killing of Banat, and the cancellation of the general elections. He famous that for the reason that starting of 2022, about 100 residents have been arrested and summoned within the West Financial institution, and a whole lot are nonetheless being tried periodically earlier than the courts. Because the starting of the 12 months, he continued, three activists — Suwaiti, Zaher, and Fares Abu Bakr, an activist and college scholar from Jenin — have been sentenced to jail.
